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Thief in Minivan Snatches Ducati Motorcycle From UWS Street, Police Say

By Emily Frost | July 13, 2015 2:10pm
 A 2008 Ducati motorcycle (similar to the one pictured above) was stolen from an Upper West Side street, police said.
A 2008 Ducati motorcycle (similar to the one pictured above) was stolen from an Upper West Side street, police said.
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Flickr/Edward J Foley

UPPER WEST SIDE — A man in a minivan snatched a motorcycle off the street in the middle of the night last week, police said. 

The suspect was caught on surveillance video loaded the 2008 white Ducati worth $11,000 into a minivan and then took off in the van shortly after 2 a.m. on July 6, police said. 

The bike's 31-year-old owner had parked it in front of 155 West 81st St., between Amsterdam and Columbus avenues, and left it for just 20 minutes, police said. 

Police could not provide any details regarding the description of the minivan or the suspect.

In the past, motorcycle thefts have accounted for more than 80 percent of vehicle thefts in the 20th Precinct, according to the NYPD.

The thefts tend to happen more in the warmer months, police said. The bikes are frequently stolen using the same method, with thieves hauling them into a van or truck before speeding away. 

In 2012, police busted 33 people they said were part of a motorcycle theft ring responsible for stealing at least 63 bikes within a 17-month period. 

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